Articulated vehicles, such as articulated dump trucks (ADT's), are known in the art. For example, ADT's typically include a cab portion having a first frame supporting an operator cab, and a trailer portion having a second frame supporting a bin. The bin is configured to contain a load and is typically coupled to an actuator for angular movement relative to the second frame. The first frame and the second frame may be operably coupled through an articulation joint.
ADT's may suffer from stability issues when not operated or loaded correctly. For example, instability may arise from the ADT being poorly loaded or being near the end of the articulation range and may be aggravated by operation of the ADT in such a condition at relatively high speeds or on a slope. Instability may result in a “bin dump” condition where the center of gravity of the trailer portion moves outside of the wheel base of the trailer portion. In this condition, the trailer portion may roll over while the cab portion remains upright.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a vehicle having a chassis is provided. The chassis includes a cab portion, a trailer portion, and a coupling assembly positioned between the cab portion and the trailer portion. The cab portion includes a first frame, and the trailer portion includes a second frame. The coupling assembly is configured to provide pivoting movement of the trailer portion relative to the cab portion, and the trailer portion includes a bin configured to contain a load. A first wheel assembly is coupled to the first frame to support the cab portion, and second and third wheel assemblies are coupled to the second frame to support the trailer portion. A weigh system is positioned to detect weight supported by each of the second and third wheel assemblies. A controller in communication with the weigh system is configured to determine a measure of the stability of the trailer portion based on a comparison of the detected weight on the second wheel assembly with the detected weight on the third wheel assembly. The controller generates a warning upon the determined measure of stability being outside a threshold range.
According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided including a front portion and a trailer portion. The front portion includes a front frame, and a front wheel assembly is operably coupled to the front frame to support the front portion. The trailer portion includes a rear frame and a bin supported by the rear frame, and the bin is configured to support a load. First and second rear wheel assemblies are operably coupled to the rear frame to support the trailer portion. A frame coupling is positioned between the front frame and the rear frame, the frame coupling being configured to provide pivoting movement between the front frame and the rear frame. A first weight detector is positioned to measure weight supported by the first rear wheel assembly, and a second weight detector is positioned to measure weight supported by the second rear wheel assembly. At least one sensor supported by the vehicle is configured to detect a parameter of the vehicle. A controller in communication with the first and second weight detectors calculates a weight distribution of the vehicle on the first and second wheel assemblies based on a comparison of the measured weights supported by the first and second rear wheel assemblies. The controller is configured to determine the stability of the vehicle based on a comparison of the calculated weight distribution with a threshold weight distribution range. The controller dynamically adjusts the threshold weight distribution range based on input from the at least one sensor.
According to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of determining the stability of an articulated vehicle is provided. The method includes the step of providing a vehicle having a cab portion, a trailer portion, and a coupling member positioned between the cab portion and the trailer portion. The cab portion includes a first frame supported by a front wheel assembly, and the trailer portion includes a second frame supported by first and second rear wheel assemblies. The method includes setting a threshold range representative of a range of weight distributions of the vehicle on the first and second rear wheel assemblies, receiving a first weight measurement representative of weight supported by the first wheel rear assembly, and receiving a second weight measurement representative of weight supported by the second rear wheel assembly. The method further includes detecting a parameter of the vehicle with a vehicle sensor and calculating a weight distribution of the vehicle on the first and second rear wheel assemblies based on the first and second weight measurements. The method further includes monitoring the stability of the vehicle based on a comparison of the weight distribution with the threshold range and dynamically adjusting the threshold range based on a change in the detected parameter of the vehicle.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.